May 21, 2015
Headline on page 14 of the Wednesday, May 20, 2015 edition of the Chicago Tribune. The Associated Press journalist, Matthew Perrone then goes on, “But critics point to dangers of a largely unregulated trade.” This is a well written article in which Perrone highlights the charlatans doing the wrong thing, breaking the law, and doing harm. He did his home- work and focuses on the quackery, false claims and almost wholly unregulated mushrooming adipose derived business not unlike what Pope Brock did in his 2008 novel, Charlatan. Perrone brings into focus the quacks that prey on desperate patients seeking miracles in treating progressive neurologic disorders and the like. As my good friend opined after having read the article, “when ever a new avenue opens, the easy money guys stream in.”Incidentally, the exposure of those who state” if I am breaking the law, how come I haven’t been arrested yet?” isn’t new; 60 Minutes exposed those who seek to enrich themselves no matter the price to society several years ago. Last night, at the Goodman Theater, my wife and I saw Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes; very timely. The play takes place circa 1900, in a small Alabama town where the accumulation of wealth by the Hubbard family takes precedence over family, loyalty, decency, honor and morality. Toward the end of the play, the crowning statement in my mind was something to the effect that there are many Hubbard families out there in the mainstream America.
This lack of professional integrity and opportunism is engrained in our society so how do you protect yourself as a patient, be it Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate to postpone or avoid a joint replacement or any other area of medical care? The list of reasons to seek out Cellular Orthopedics and Regenerative Medicine is really the lengthy list of contraindications to surgery because of co-morbidities that preclude a total joint replacement surgical procedure. In addition, there are those patients who want to maintain or return to the highest level of recreational endeavor. The answer is quality assurance by your Regenerative Medical specialist assuring you the recommendations and the intervention are evidence based. That evidence comes from ongoing clinical research integrated with clinical care, not just completing a procedure and handing out a bill. You will find that level of evidence based care within the Regenexx Network of physicians located now thoughout the United States. These are not doctors who took a weekend seminar offered by a training company. At Regenexx, we do not treat anything outside the realm of orthopedic diseases. I partake in many week-long courses over the calendar year in which I not only learn but present my data collected on an ongoing basis. Next month, I am off to present my data at TOBI; a four day international program limited to arthritis and sports related injuries. That’s what I do and that’s your assurance that what I do is based on clinical outcomes research and is evidence based.
Tags: arthritis, athletes, bone marrow, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Clinical Studies, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Concentrated Stem Cell Plasma, FDA, Hip Replacement, Interventional Orthopedics, Knee, Mature Athlete, medicine, Orthopedic Care, Orthopedic Surgeon, Orthopedics, Osteoarthritis, Pain Management, Regenexx, Regenexx-SD, stem cells, treatment
May 14, 2015
That’s the name of the lead article in the Wednesday, May 13 edition of the Health and Family Section in the Chicago Tribune. “The brain loves it when we move and will reward us handsomely if we do, researchers say.” That’s what Julie Deardorff has to say in the article. “Work out for the brain”, not just the body. “Physical activity is crucial to mind and body alike.”
I think you understand the point so let’s look at which arthritic complaint is your problem and how stem cells may help. It is too early in the scientific process to suggest clinically, that Regenerative Medicine can reverse changes in the brain though the scientific evidence supports exercise as having such impact. By the same token, it is not too early to state that Cellular Orthopedics can reverse and benefit your knee and hip. This morning, I am finalizing the talk I will be delivering next month, at The Orthopedic and Biologic Institute International Regenerative Medicine scientific meeting to be held in Las Vegas. My data clearly supports the statement that Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate will diminish pain and increase activity in those with arthritis of the major weight bearing joints. We have 187 patients in the data base on whom I have gathered evidence over a 24 month period. All were patients who presented for orthopedic cellular intervention of an arthritic knee. While space does not allow for a complete presentation of the outcomes, the studies clearly document, less pain, better motion, increased functional capacity, and a better state of emotional and physical well-being when compared to pretreatment baselines. The return to high impact recreational activity was statistically significant in the study group of 187 patients.
Bone marrow aspirate concentrate does contain mesenchymal stem cells but there is more to the success story. More recently almost on a monthly basis, molecules and proteins are being identified in the bone marrow in addition to the stem cells that all act together to diminish pain, increase motion, eliminate inflammation , and perhaps even regenerate cartilage. There is even a possibility of reversing or diminishing the bio-immune response of osteoarthritis. At this time, I am unable to document how long these benefits will be realized; my studies will continue as I integrate patient care with research. The latter allows me to determine what number of nucleated cells at the time of the bone marrow aspiration predicts the best chance of a successful outcome. I now have statistically significant evidence that age and BMI do not adversely influence the outcome of a Cellular Orthopedic procedure. By the same token, I can predict success based on the physical examination and history prior to an intervention and advise a patient as to the chance of success based on the combination of the pretreatment consultation and imaging. If you want to learn your chances of postponing or avoiding a joint replacement for arthritis using now scientifically documented results, call for a consultation:
847 390 7666
Tags: arthritis, athletes, Benefits and Risk, bone marrow, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Clinical Studies, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Hip Replacement, Interventional Orthopedics, joint replacement, Knee, Knee Pain Relief, Mature Athlete, Orthopedic Care, Orthopedics, Pain Management, Regenerative, Regenexx, stem cells, treatment
May 7, 2015
Prolotherapy
In spite of what you may read and hear about repeated injections of 12 ½ % dextrose into your joint or in the soft tissues surrounding your joint, there is no scientific evidence to support the claims regarding a regenerative influence from Prolotherapy. That is not to say it might or could lessen pain around a joint; but the benefits, if any, are anecdotal in nature and fall under the realm of homeopathy. It belongs under the same classification as Acupuncture; there are followers, anecdote and practitioners but an absence of scientific proof as to how it works. Yet, even with paucity, if not absence of scientific evidence, there is no end to web sites extolling the regenerative nature of Prolotherapy.
From science to tabloid
This week, my office and email were inundated following the headline in the Monday Wall Street Journal concerning a 3D printing of a medial meniscus lattice into which stem cells had been injected. A total of one patient was featured who had an experimental meniscus surgically introduced to replace a previously torn medial meniscus. While in years to come, this may become common place, there are limited indications and many more years of clinical trial ahead before an artificial meniscus becomes a standard of practice. After age 40 or so, meniscal injury as documented on an MRI is more often than not accompanied by arthritis. Post traumatic arthritis and degenerative arthritis are contraindications to meniscal replacement and even are associated with a less than satisfactory outcome to existing arthroscopic interventions. I must remind the reader that degenerative and post traumatic knee arthritis may be reflected on the MRI as an abnormal meniscus but in addition, physical examination is compatible with an altered range of joint motion and mechanical axis deformities.
A Regenerative Medicine Offering with emerging Scientific Evidence
I am finishing up my statistical analysis concerning 170 patients with degenerative and post traumatic knee arthritis who have undergone Bone marrow Aspirate Concentrate/Stem Cell knee care in preparation for my presentation at the June meeting of The Orthopedic and Biologic Institute. After two years of follow-up, there is a statistically significant improvement in diminishing pain, increasing range of motion, enhancing well-being, and facilitating return to or maintenance of a highly active recreational profile. This is scientific evidence and the basis for my Regenerative Medicine approach to helping a patient manage arthritis.
Tags: arthritis, athletes, bone marrow, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Clinical Studies, Concentrated Stem Cell Plasma, Interventional Orthopedics, Knee, Knee Pain Relief, Mature Athlete, medicine, Orthopedic Care, Orthopedic Surgeon, Osteoarthritis, Pain Management, Regenerative, Regenexx, Regenexx-SD, stem cells, treatment
Apr 30, 2015
“Dwight Howard dominated the paint during Tuesday’s series-clinching victory, finishing with 18 points, 19 rebounds, four steals and four blocks.” (From Yahoo sport) Three months ago, the following appeared in the Press/News from ESPNDallas.com “Dwight Howard Out Indefinitely. There is no timetable for Houston Rockets center Dwight Howards return.” There are many other athletes who undergo Regenerative Medicine-Cellular Orthopedic interventions during the course of the year, they are not as public about it but there is successful return to sports, more often than not. If you imagine the forces generated across the knee in a 6’11’’, 265 lb. professional basketball player, you must conclude that his regenerative medicine intervention is a success for a continually painful knee.
Cellular Orthopedics is here to stay and is rapidly gaining a foothold as the non-operative treatment regimen for skeletal muscular trauma and the progressive restrictions imposed by degenerative arthritis. This past weekend, I was in Southwest Wisconsin fly fishing and cycling. Wading up a spring creek and climbing up and down the cliffs is as demanding as playing center on a professional basketball team. Cycling for three hours up 1500 foot climbs depends not only on conditioning but on functional knees. It was possible for my buddy and me in part because of the several cellular orthopedic procedures I have completed on him in the past three years. We have many more similar trips planned.
Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate-Stem Cell treatment is only one of the possibilities available for helping a patient postpone or avoid a joint replacement, diminish pain, increase motion and assist in returning an injured or arthritic individual to well being and a full recreational profile. From Concentrated Platelet Rich Plasma to Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate-Stem Cells, there are several alternatives for altering the natural history of post traumatic and degenerative arthritis. Many more offerings are in the works and I will continually update you as to when these latest interventions become available. In the meantime, please understand that while I don’t have to break a bone to best understand how to treat a fracture, my treatment recommendations for Cellular Orthopedic intervention concerning both post traumatic arthritis and degenerative arthritis in part are influenced by my own experiences so I will continue to report on such. To learn more about what is available in Regenerative Medicine and what clinical trials are in the works, make an appointment for a consultation.
847 390 7666
Tags: arthritis, athletes, Benefits and Risk, bone marrow, Bone Marrow Concentrate, C-SCP, Clinical Studies, Concentrated Stem Cell Plasma, Interventional Orthopedics, joint replacement, Knee, Knee Pain Relief, Mature Athlete, Pain Management, PRP, Regenexx, Regenexx-SD, stem cells, treatment
Apr 9, 2015
The New York Times recently published a story about a lawsuit brought against an orthopedic prosthetic company for distributing their product without appropriate FDA approval. The story calls into question not only the process by which new technology is brought into practice, but the choices the clinician must make when deciding the best options to use on a patient. We need to study every new technology with evidence based means and make critical decisions on the outcomes resulting from those studies. We clinicians strive to always do better.
As I am sure you realize, the FDA and other parties are anxious to have more data, especially when it comes to the newer technologies in Regenerative Medicine. To the best of my knowledge and based on my ongoing scrutiny of the scientific and orthopedic medical literature, Regenexx is the only scientific laboratory to date that has repeatedly met with the FDA and their agents and been allowed to offer regenerative technology under the highest level of scrutiny. My particular targets are arthritis and synovitis. My therapeutic approach to pain, altered function, reduced motion, delaying and even avoiding a joint replacement, and reversing the natural progression of arthritis is mostly based on the research and publications of Regenexx; and in addition more recently, on the outcomes from the continuing monitoring of our own Regenexx Chicago data base.
When it comes to patient care, I explain risks and benefits in generic terms citing percentages from my understanding of the information presented at scientific meetings, that which I read in the medical literature, the publications from Regenexx, and information gleaned from my own investigations. The Decision-Making process should be and at Regenexx is based on registries. The governments of countries outside the United States have required participation in registries for many years; there is no such requirement in the United States. Regenexx for the past seven years has maintained such a registry, and when I joined the Network three years ago, added to the comprehensive nature of those outcome measurements.
Innovation is important to advance patient care. Regenerative Medicine is truly a transformational innovation. We want patients to respect our ability to make decisions about what is in their best interests. This foundation of respect will only result from unbiased decisions and will be strengthened when more recent entries into the field of stem cell care present scientific data and not “this is how I do it” or criticism based on market place competition. Regenexx has introduced a stable and stem cell methodology with a proven track record. This being the case, others should be careful when choosing to forgo that approach. In a spin on the words of the immortal Jerry Maguire, Show Me Your Data.
Tags: arthritis, Benefits and Risk, bone marrow, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Clinical Studies, Hip Replacement, Interventional Orthopedics, joint replacement, Knee, Knee Pain Relief, Mature Athlete, medicine, Orthopedic Care, Orthopedic Surgeon, Orthopedics, Osteoarthritis, Pain Management, Regenerative, Regenexx, Regenexx-SD, stem cells, technology, treatment
